Maple Story First Love
by lwwee
Summary: Lirin's true feelings........ about Aran........


The characters are from Maple Story, based on the legend, Aran and Lirin……. I only own the story =)

Yeah…….A one-shot! I hope you guys like it! And please review if you can, it means a lot to me. Oh……..and please go easy with the mistakes .

The title says it all~ it was inspired by Utada Hikaru's first love~

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_First Love_

We heard tumbling noises all around us in the cave, the rocks which blocked the entrance of the cave was smashed into pieces. I could still feel his tight grasp on my coat, taking me as his captive………I couldn't see Baroq, the master of disguise's face which covered his eyes entirely under his hood. The fallen rocks made an entrance for Aran. Sunlight flooded the cave within split seconds.

"You must be Aran. I've been waiting for you." Hissed he, his hoarse voice echoed in the cave. His threatening laugh stopped as he began to bit his lip, watching Aran making his way near us.

"Indeed, I'm already here as you wanted. What do you want from us? Let her go!!!" Aran switched his sight towards me, seeing that I was struggling to escape from that person's fist.

"What do we want? Hah! This is not your fight." He tossed me on the ground as if I was some kind of unwanted trash. I landed on the corner of the cave, dust-covered. I felt a large pain on my shoulder, not being able to stand up. "It is YOU, Aran, who kept on interfering our plans!"

"You still have a choice." Baroq continued. "You can take her and escape as far as you can from us, the Black Wings but you guys will have to promise that you will have nothing to do with us again. A friendly advice, you can't do anything to stop the resurrection of the Black Wizard now."

Aran didn't respond thoughly, he bent down his knees and got his pole arm ready. His stern-looking face can't be seen as he was facing his back towards the light. But his blue eyes………I can felt his hatred right from his heart! _Please Aran……please don't……_

"I'll take that as a no. Are you prepared to die?" Baroq roared, but Aran wasn't wasting any time. He dashed forward, swung his pole arm towards him.

"Why so aggressive?" he scowled. He was fast enough to avoid Aran's blow. He lifted both his hands up, and cast a strong force all around him. He smashed the ground of the cave with his fists. The force was so strong that even Aran was unable to block himself from it.

"Watch out!" I shouted. Aran fell backwards, trying to regain his steps. I could see it…….the blood flowing from his arm, through the blade of his pole arm, and dipped onto the ground of the cave. He pressed against his wound.

"Feeling dizzy so soon?" He was enjoying the sight of Aran holding in, thinking of the next move he should make.

"Maha, are you ready?" He whispered, followed by a huge triple swung which caught him off guard. This time Aran finished it with a final blow. Baroq tried to dodge it, but he was unable to escape from the forceful slash Aran gave him.

"I'll be back……." Baroq said with a cynical tone, leaving his trial of voice behind. All I can saw was darkness, darkness, darkness……….

* * *

I felt blur……where was I? I opened my eyes, I was in my own room, at Rien Village! Why can't I recall what happened just now…… it seemed like I don't remember a thing after I passed out. The cold winds kept on blowing in……… I got up from up bed and got shocked – Oz and Hawkeye was looking after me throughout the whole night, with their faces glued to the table, sleeping.

I got up discreetly, trying to put my coat on, but it seemed that I didn't have that much strength to stand up for long. I tried to get a grip on the table and the table rattles. This was enough to wake the both of them up.

"Lirin? You're awake!!! Are you alright?" Hawkeye held my arm tightly before I sank further to the ground.

"I'm okay……" I muttered softly. "Thanks Hawkeye……I just need some rest, that's all……"

"Aran was here just now, he was worrying sick about you." Oz informed me before we heard someone knocked the door. It was _him_.

"Aran! Are you okay?" Oz asked.

"I'm fine………." He was just standing there at the entrance, looking at the three of us.

"We should get going." Hawkeye cleared his throat. "Oz, I might need your help outside."

"But…….isn't Lirin……..okay, I understand." Oz got up from her seat and followed behind Hawkeye.

It was just us, looking at each other. He looked so different now, the way he talks, the way he brought up himself, everything. Why? Maybe that's the way it is……I should have known that he was this cocky person, sometimes, I really, really wished that he never grew his memories back…………………….

* * *

"Where have you been?" I was totally frustrated. Aran must have not been practicing today. He ran towards me with a large, silly smile on his face. I realized that his was hiding his left hand.

"Nothing……." He replied uneasily when I asked him about it, didn't dare to look me in the eye.

"What's behind your back? Let me see it!" I reached for his back and demanded at him.

"It's……for you." A beautiful red rose it was. His hands were shaky when he handed it to me. I was not sure how I should react though, I couldn't deny the fact that I was happy, of course, but I'm quite upset about it too. He must have been slacking!

"How about your training? You're not trying to get away with it, are you?"

"But-"

"We said it before." I argued with him. "We agreed that you must have at least eight hours of training per day. Do you understand?" I walked off before he could even talk back.

Yes……I was so angry……and happy at the same time……what the!? _Okay I admit_, I was only happy for just awhile that he gave me "something", but it didn't mean anything at all, he shouldn't be wasting his time looking for a rose. Hmm……..all these things going on made me even more suspicious about it. Wait……was he trying to make an excuse for not training? _That's it, I'm going to him right now!!!_

"Aran?" I tapped his back while he was enjoying the full moon along with the cool, freezing midnight wind of Rein Village all by himself. "I made us some Gimbap. Do you want to have some?" I asked, trying not to sound too……demanding.

"……Sure……" He gave me a late reply, but I'm not quite sure what that means…….it sounds negative to me. He took a slice and had a taste of it. "It's delicious." He nodded.

Of course I was not going to let him escape that easily. "So," I sat beside him. "Where did you go just now?"

He hesitated and took a deep breath. "I went to Lith Harbour in the afternoon, I'm so sorry!" He flew with his words just like that, hoping that I couldn't catch a word. Now I'm really, really pissed off about it……ISH!!!

"Lirin……" He let a word out before I threw my entire tantrum on him. "Do you think I'm…….the one? The one who saved Maple World and being cursed by the Black Magician?"

"What are you talking about? Of course you are!" I tried to convince him. "No matter what, it is certain that you had lost your memories after you had been cursed."

"What if……it's just a coincidence?" He went on. In total despair…….I wonder what happened? "Sometimes I felt that I'm not the one you're looking for……."

"Don't even say that!!!" I warned him, so loud that it gave him a shock. I knew I went too far again, I held his hand and opened my heart to him. "Aran, I've never doubt you, you are here now for a purpose: to save all of us from the resurrection of the Black Wizard. We are counting on you now."

"Lirin……I'm sorry that I kept on letting you down……" He let go of my hand and frowned. "I know I'm not the same person centuries before." It must have been so wrong, he woke up with all his memories being wiped out completely, and the next thing he knew, he was a legend.

"Look, Aran," I pulled a ring out from my ring finger, and placed it into his. "Do you what this is? It's a ring which I treasure very much all my life. It was passed from my ancestors to me, as a promise to find the legend, which you are. Now that my lifetime wish came true in front of my eyes, I don't think I need it anymore. I want you to have it."

"No…It's your ring…….I don't think I should take it." He tried to refuse.

"Please keep it…….I know sometimes I can be that moody, grumpy girl who keeps on asking you to train yourself non-stop, but I want you to know that you mean a lot to me." I didn't know how I should put my words into sentence, it felt so…….odd. He helped himself with another Gimbap while I was just staring, watching him eating.

"Thanks. The ring will be on my finger always, this I promise you. I'll never take it off." He looked at it, rubbing the surface of the ring with his thumb. I felt relieved, all he needs now is a little bit of confidence.

"So……eight hours of practice, as usual for tomorrow?" I was starting this whole dumb routine again…….

"Ten hours," Aran looked at me with a smile. "I think I should make up the time I'd lost today."

"Yes!!!!!!" I was getting too excited. "That's my tiger!!!! Get 'em!!!" I gave him a light punch on the shoulder.

* * *

Yes. That was him. The shy, under-confident him. It was _the passing time, _the conflict of the past and present that created emptiness between us now. I was so selfish. I knew things couldn't stay as they were forever. I don't know what I was thinking about……. I don't want him to be eaten up alive by time, but I……………

"Lirin, I need to talk to you." He finally spoke out, broke the silence of the wind. The fireplace was almost extinguished as I was out of firewood.

I tried to ignore him. "I think you should leave now, it's late." I didn't take a look at him, _even though I really wanted to_. I was just sitting there on my bed and looking at the fireplace. _You've changed………Aran._

"I need to talk to you!!!" He repeated. His gaze didn't leave me either.

"Since you don't want to make the first move, then I'll leave." I gave him my usual cold expression and off to the door. I'd tried to hurry, but I got halted at the last moment. He was pulling my hand, not letting go of me. Things began to be out of control, will all his might he pushed me against the wall. He drew even closer to me.

"What are you doing!?" I cried and panicked. He was fencing me with his lean arms, afraid of losing me.

"Lirin, I'm sorry…….." He looked down and admitted. "I know it hurts you a lot that you might think I had changed somehow. But I'm still the same Aran, and I will always be, for you." His voice was weak as he was breathing heavily, sweating.

I looked up into his eyes, the hatred, the anger can't be seen on the lines of his blue iris anymore…………that's the look when I first saw him, waking up him the crystal cave!!! _It is you?_

I couldn't care less about it anymore......all I need now is his warmth which surrounded all around me right now. _It is you……Aran!!!_ My whole mind flooded with a sense of relief. Slowly, gently, he took me into his arms. I couldn't help but to burst into tears.

"Aran……I miss you!!!!" I rested my head on his shoulders and I was starting to be calmer. I should have never doubted him at the first place. I was scared. I was so afraid of him changing. I don't want him to change anything which was used to be a part of him,, _including his heart_……….. "I thought you were……promise me you won't do that again!!!"

"I promise." He had my shoulders. His lips were getting closer to mine…………….

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Please tell me what do you think of this story :P Thanks...... I should start it from scratch.......


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